he federal capital saw rapid infrastructure developments in 2025, mainly flyovers, underpasses and expansion of roads to deal with the problem of traffic congestion at several places.

Last week, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) inaugurated the city’s first pelican pedestrian crossings.

“Islamabad’s first pelican pedestrian crossings are now in place on Constitution Avenue, right in front of the Secretariat. More such initiatives are coming soon,” CDA chief commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa announced on social media.

The CDA completed many projects in 2025, starting with a major underpass and improvement of Serena intersection. At least six large-scale development projects, with worth estimated over Rs 23 billion were completed during the year.

The projects included expansion of Park Road, a state-of-the-art nursery and a park at Park Road, the F-9 Park flyover and improvised intersection, completed at T-Chowk flyover to facilitate thousands of vehicles entering Grand Trunk Road via Expressway.

The last megaproject of the year (till now) T-Chowk flyover was well ahead of schedule, nearly two months before its original deadline. The 1.1-kilometer flyover, built at a cost of Rs. 1.4 billion, stands at the intersection of GT Road and Islamabad Expressway.

Overall, the federal capital saw large-scale development in 2025 and, as per CDA and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, more is to follow.

Another flyover and improvement of intersection of Shaheen Chowk is almost completed and would be inaugurated in the early weeks of 2026.

A second phase saw the Jinnah Square Murree Road Interchange finalised in just over a month and the F-10 roundabout intersection redesigned to make it hassle-free. Parking plazas in commercial areas were also constructed.

However, the development projects by the CDA are drawing mixed criticism from the residents of Islamabad.

Tahir Ali, a resident of F-10,said he greatly appreciated the development initiatives taken by the government. According to him, the projects eased traffic load on the city’s roads which were very narrow and susceptible to bottlenecks.

“Take, for example, the F-9 Park flyover. The road there was so narrow and people had to wait for many minutes, sometimes for around half hour, during peak hours. Now we can cross that square in no time.”

Ali said all credit was due to the administration for completing the construction of these megaprojects within weeks. “This has actually saved residents from a great mess. We didn’t have to bother with diversions this time.”

Many others, like Abdul Mohi, were not very much convinced. “We believe development is the need of the hour, amid the rising population of the city. But I don’t agree with the way these projects are hastily executed – there is barely any thought or planning that goes into them,” he said, “…all of this seems like a ploy to get more people to vote for specific political parties.”

“These are long-term projects and, I believe, they should have been initiated after proper planning. Quality should not be the price for wrapping up these projects quickly. What about public safety?” he questioned.

At least six large-scale development projects, with worth estimated over Rs 23 billion were completed during the year.

Mohi further said that billions of rupees were spend on roads that were just as narrow as the previous ones.

“I travel to the G-10 sector every day and am still confused about the way the side roads and diversions are designed. It is quite a mess.”

Another resident, Naseem Akhtar, a doctor by profession, said it would have been better to announce the project’s design publicly and invite engineers and students to present their designs and architect for a prize or an award.

“If the public, experts and urban planners had been taken in loop, the government would have had better ideas and honest input [from the people].”

Waseem Abbas, another resident of the capital city, who uses Serena Chowk interstation, was of the opinion that the project was not well-designed. While he agreed that the intersection needed to be expanded, he said that it could have been done in a more organised manner.

“It is true that the traffic was a mess, originally. Tens of thousands people were using Murree Road and entering the city via Serena Chowk and that was causing the issue,” said the citizen. “An underpass between Murree and Embassy roads would have solved the problem.”

“The problem of traffic congestion is still there –the zigzag entry to Murree Road from Islamabad means traffic is still blocked and diverted during the movement of dignitaries. Honestly, bad planning is to blame.”

He also asked why the residents of the capital city were not consulted before finalising such megaprojects. “These projects are executed without consultation with the public. Had they [the government] asked, we would have told them exactly what we need.”

On the other hand, people travelling to other cities via GT Road were pleased that the Rawat Chowk intersection was improved.

“I am glad to see the T-Chowk flyover and widened roads. In the past, normally, it always took almost an hour to cross this intersection from Rawat to the Expressway and now it is possible within a few minutes,” Waqar Ahmed, a regular traveler and resident of Shakrial area, said appreciating the initiative and its completion in record time.

However, Rawat said he was unhappy that the last leg of the expansion of the Expressway – a 28 kilometer road that connects Islamabad from Faisal Blue Area to Rawat was not completed.

The T-Chowk flyover is also said to be a part of development related to ongoing construction of Rawalpindi Ring Road. “This is a huge traffic relief,” he said.

Last year, the CDA approved megaprojects, worth Rs 83 billion, for the Islamabad Capital Territory. The projects included a multibillion-rupee seven/five-star hotel, a new convention centre and a cricket stadium.

Parliamentarians and journalists are also raising questions on the environmental impact of 2025 development projects of ICT saying this rapid ongoing development will seriously pollute the air of Islamabad and affect its greenery.

However, the CDA authorities claimed they were also planting hundreds of trees at different places to retain the green spaces of the city.

“Islamabad has been chopped bare. There has been no rain in months. This was the warmest December in three years. Killer smog hangs over us like an ominous warning of what’s to come. Yet the relentless obsession with roads and underpasses continues. Bye green Islamabad,” Senator Palwasha Khan recently wrote on social media.

Many journalists criticised the recent uprooting of a jungle near Shakarparian point to expand a park and a road. They said the jungle was part of the National Park, which should have been a protected area.

Responding to these concerns, senator Talal Chaudhry, state minister for Interior, maintained that the trees were uprooted for developmental projects, but Islamabad was still clean and green.

“More than one million trees were planted by CDA in 2024 and more than 1.9 million this year. Our aim is to develop the city but keep it green,” he said.

The author is a staff reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].